At Western & Southern Open, Brian Baker gets confidence boost

9:14 PM,
Aug. 13, 2012

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After a storybook rise into the Top 100, Brian Baker entered Monday's first-round match at the Western & Southern Open having dropped his last five matches.

So his 7-6 (7), 7-6 (3) win over 15th-seeded Philipp Kohlschreiber was a huge confidence booster for the 27-year-old American as he learns to deal with the increased media attention.

"I knew that it wasn't all going to be easy, like it was this summer at times," said Baker of his recent losses. "I haven't played this many matches in years, so even though the body felt good, maybe the travel and other things had something to do with that." ...